Neuropsychologic and motor function in small-for-gestation preschoolers

Sommerfelt, Kristian; Sonnander, Karin; Skranes, Jon; Andersson, Helle W; Ahlsten, Gunnar; Ellertsen, Bjørn; Markestad, Trond; Jacobsen, Geir; Hoffman, Howard J; Bakketeig, Leiv S

« Previous Next »Pediatric Neurology
Volume 26, Issue 3 , Pages 186-191, March 2002

Neuropsychologic and motor function in small-for-gestation preschoolers

Kristian Sommerfelt, MD, PhD
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Bergen, Norway
- Communications should be addressed to: Dr. Sommerfelt; Department of Pediatrics; Barneklinikken, 5021 Haukeland Sykehus; Norway
Karin Sonnander
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry Ulleråker, University of Uppsala, Sweden
Jon Skranes, MD, PhD
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Trondheim, Norway
Helle W Andersson, MS
- Department of Psychology, University of Trondheim, Norway
Gunnar Ahlsten, MD, PhD
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Uppsala, Sweden
Bjørn Ellertsen
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway
Trond Markestad, MD, PhD
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Bergen, Norway
Geir Jacobsen, MD
- National Institutes of Health, 1 Epidemiology, Statistics and Data System Branch, NIDCD, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Howard J Hoffman, BS
- National Institutes of Health, 1 Epidemiology, Statistics and Data System Branch, NIDCD, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Leiv S Bakketeig, MD
- Department of Community Medicine and General Practice, University of Trondheim, Norway

Received 9 January 2001; accepted 3 October 2001.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate neuropsychologic and motor performance in term small-for-gestation preschool children. A patient-based sample of 311 5-year-old children with birth weights less than the fifteenth percentile for gestation was compared with a random sample of 321 appropriate-for-gestation control subjects. The main assessment tools were subscales from the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence Revised, subscales from the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities, tests of manual dexterity and figure copying, and the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales. The small-for-gestation children had mean scores on tests of visuospatial and visuomotor abilities that were one fourth standard deviation lower than appropriate-for-gestation control subjects and slightly lower scores on manual dexterity. The small-for-gestation children were comparable to appropriate-for-gestation children regarding motor performance. We therefore conclude that the neuropsychologic and neuromotor performance in preschool years of term small-for-gestation children is reassuring.